Environmental Adult Education for Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Production and Fish Farming in Rivers State of Nigeria

Abstract

The threats of climate change to human society and natural ecosystems have become a devastating environmental problem for crop production and fish farming in Nigeria. This is partly because farmers and fisher folk are known to adopt age-old methods that do not counter current global warming and climate change effects. The purpose of this study was to establish through an empirical process the nature and degree of climate change impacts on crop production and fish farming and the environmental adult education programmes that would help crop farmers and fisher folk to mitigate the impacts on their occupational outputs. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. 323 crop farmers and 433 fish farmers, representing 20% each out of the total populations of 1,623 and 2,191 members of crop farmers’/fisher folk’s Cooperatives respectively in four local government areas were selected for the study through the proportionate sampling technique. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. Percentages, means and the T-test were the statistical methods used to analyse data obtained through a questionnaire. The results of the data analysis revealed that climate change led to reduction in variety of products and overall outputs, unpredictable times for crop/fish farming and harvest, as well as low incomes among other impacts. Based on the responses of the farmers, a number of environmental adult education programmes have been considered necessary to help the farmers mitigate the impacts of climate change on their occupational outputs. The researchers recommend, among other things, that with some assistance, relevant institutions in Nigeria should develop and implement the necessary environmental adult education programmes.

Keywords: Environmental Adult Education; Climate Change Impacts; Crop Production; Fish    Farming.